Real Life
Funny old week! I’m still using Evernote, but the to do list is growing! I’m playing around to try and find a more efficient way to keep track of what I need to do… but it’s definitely a work in progress but I’ve just finished reading a fabulous book called The Checklist Manifesto (don’t laugh!), and I may be ever so slightly closer to honing this to do list to the essentials.
Friday Reuben and I paid a visit to the 1st of our 45 castles, Mitford Castle. It was eerily quiet but freaking amazing and I loved it. This Northumberland Castles challenge is going to be ace, I can tell!
Saturday was a family day. We did some visiting and then took it easy…although what with Dry January (I’m linking up my post about Dry January from LAST year), Mike and I were both in a bit of a bad mood! We ate meat and cheese and watched film as a distraction.
Thank you so much to everyone who commented last week and for your concern with the old sleep deprivation. It really is part of the job, huh? With so many people telling they feel my pain, I have taken a different approach, which is acceptance, and I feel much better for it. It also probably helps that from Sunday evening Reuben has slept through until 5ish – not being woken up in the middle of a deep slumber has been amazing!
I figured not getting up until 5ish warranted a sticker so by Tuesday he had completed his first sticker chart. It was soooo cute!
A complete Sticker Chart!
The Prize – he’s slept with it ever since!
Blog Life
Wednesday and Thursday are my work days and I’m finding it really difficult to get the right balance at the moment. I never feel like I’ve done my best by the end of the day. While I’m working on reading, researching, ideas generation and not working at night (!), what is suffering is a lack of actual blog posts! I’ve gone from blogging daily to blogging 3 times this week. I’ve also had to stop doing All About You with Zaz, which I’m gutted about, but I just don’t have the time at the minute to pay it the right amount of attention.
I guess new schedules and different priorities bring with it an element of adjustment, so fingers crossed I’ll soon get in to the swing of things!
What I did do on Thursday though was my first Vlog for 2015. I get all nervous before doing a Vlog, and get put off by the idea of having to make myself look presentable (!) but once I’ve finished I get a buzz of fullfilflment so I’d love to do more of it. I don’t seem to have the ideas though. I think I could do with a theme or something to encourage an element of discipline into the process!
My ever so professional Vlog set up…
Inspiration
My inspiration this week has to be the Checklist Manifesto, which with my new found speed reading skills, I read in record time! It’s got my mind a bit boggled but I’ve been working on an article that will hopefully be a lot more articulate than it is now and in fact change all mothers lives for ever… not a big deal then!
Over to You
How has week 2 post NY been for you? Last week was a-wash with many a goal or resolution or will do better post, and again, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading them and hearing all about your new ideas.
Featured bloggers
One great, sweet (literally), and generally lovely new idea is Tea and Cake, from Potty Mouthed Mummy, which is basically an awesome list of the best posts you should read. Head there with tea and cake.
What Katy Said’s post about Toddler Hypoglycemia was a real eye-opener. Particularly the section about night waking – since reading this I’m now giving Rueben a huge bowl of porridge right before bed, and well, it could be coincidence but he is sleeping through until 5 this week (5:45 on Tuesday!!)…!
Sophie’s post on her Christmas Present experiment is awesome! I’d love to do something like this but I’d probably leave it to the last minute and it would be stressful rather than fun. But such a lovely set of gift ideas!
Grab the badge and get linking!
I love Evernote. That book sounds quite interesting! The thought of vlogging makes me very queasy, not sure it’s ever something I will do eek.
Thanks for the mention lovely 🙂 xxx
Heh! Is that the thought of me vlogging?! 😉 I bet you’d be a natural!! How about a podcast to get you warmed up to the idea? xx
Ooh I will head over and watch your vlog after reading some of the posts that have been linked up. Thanks for hosting x
It’s only just live now! Sorry for the delay 😉 xx
Haha love the vlog setup! Brilliant book choice, have you seen his Ted Talk? I refer to it at least twice a week in a work context but it’s really shifted my thinking about problem solving in lots of life’s messy corners!
NO!!!! There’s a Ted Talk?? I’m watching that THIS AFTERNOON. thanks so much Ang xxx
Thanks so much for the mention! That book looks awesome. In fact I might have just ordered it… I’ve been rediscovering my love of lists this week 🙂 xx
Ok, so I’m loving lists but my struggle now is how to organise them! I’ve got into the habit of writing things down when they pop in my head but then I forget where I’ve put them! I need to rejig my evernote as it’s already becoming larger than I can handle!
My pleasure for the mention – I love your creative ideas 🙂 xxx
Glad to hear the sleep is getting better. Elsie’s has too the past week or so, pretty much sleeping all night until about 5am. It’s much easier when they do that isn’t it? Although i hope I haven’t bloody jinxed it now! :-/
Don’t be hard on yourself with the blogging/ not enough time front. It’s tough fitting everything in, you’re not superwoman although you are a super woman if you know what I mean.
I always wish I had more time to blog /write etc but I remind myself that quality is more important than quantity and trust me, on that front you’ve got nothing to worry about 🙂
Much love – have linked up xxx
Thank you my darling!! Means a lot 🙂 xxxx
LOVE your professional Vlog set up!! That books looks quite serious, you really mean it don’t you! x
I do.
😉 xx
I’ve had a to do list since last November *epic fail* Using January to get through it all!! Think I’ll look into Evernote. Thanks x
heh heh!! I say scrap the to do list and just wing it! (I don’t really, I’m far too scared!) xx
Thanks for having me again 😉
A pleasure of course!! xx
The Northumberland castles challenge sounds brilliant! We love Northumberland and usually make it up there at least once a year. I’m off to check out your post that I missed last week.
Oooh let me know if you’re visiting again and we can do a castle trip together!! x
Wow there are a lot of castles up there!! Sounds like a cool challenge. Yay for Reuben sleeping a bit longer, it’s bloody draining when they’re up in the night isn’t it x
In a word…YUP! Thanks love – our last castle visit was a bit of a disaster, but fun all the same 😉 xx
You and I have both been reading! Glad you’re still finding Evernote useful – your book sounds intriguing too…
i know!! I’m loving it too – getting lots of ideas and my brain is finally doing what it was made to do…think! xx
Oh I’m glad you’ve ‘kind of’ found a way to get through the sleep deprivation – just a killer, isn’t it? I don’t think i could do it these days. I remember you recommending Evernote before but for some strange reason my phone won’t let me download it 🙁 It sounds right up my street!
You’ll love it – providing you’re organised! My Evernote is now a seemingly random collection of to-do lists and ideas, which is starting to drive me bonkers as it’s another thing I need to go and ‘tidy’ hahaha! Thanks for linking up! xxx
Oh doll, I love your honesty about the challenges we all face as Mums, squeezing in work, blogging and life. I hope you find your balance this year. I LOVE the vlogging set up! Will pop over and watch later x
Awww! Thank you darling – I probably already have the balance, either that or it doesn’t exist…whatever happens we always want MORE!! 😉 xx
Thank you so much for the mention! It has helped a few people since I posted it which is amazing! Lots more happy toddlers out there!
I like the sound of that book! Might have to go buy that now… haha!
x
Lots more happy mums too, Katy! Thank you so much!!!! xxx
The Checklist Manifesto sounds like a great book and glad you’ve started on your castles challenge – sounds like so much fun and if I was living anywhere near Northumberland I would be so tempted to join in! Good luck with trying to find the right work balance too.
Thank lovely! A never-ending journey I feel 😉 xx
I LOVE your Vlog set up, it is awesome! Mine would be similar. I am glad Reuben slept and I am sure he was super happy with his car, such a cute little dude xxxx
😀 xxx
Thanks for hosting. I’ve added the badge to my link ups page.
Awesome!! Thank you so much 🙂 xx
Always lovely reading your posts! Lovely pictures too. I’m looking forward to reading your post about the book you’ve just finished reading, and hopefully watching your vlog soon. I think your attitude to Reuben’s sleep is a good one, I’m planning to write a post about how I reached acceptance with my little one’s night wakes. Reuben’s sleep has obvious improved and I’m very pleased for you; what a difference it must make to your sleep. I hope it coninues like this.
To do lists … I can definitely identify with them getting longer and longer and longer; so annoying when you’re trying to achieve so many goals. And o, the frustration of not posting as much as one would like! O well, we must live on and find ways to blog on.
All the best in the new week. #TheList
Thanks lovely! I love getting your comments 🙂 You’re always so complimentary 😀 Book review/what now? style post coming soon I hope! xx
High 5 to Rueben! Wooooppee!!! And that vlog set up….LOVE IT! X
Nothing but the ultimate in professionalism here Becky 😉 xx I was actually annoyed with Reuben yesterday when he was playing with his garage…I needed it for another Vlog!! xx
Glad Reuben is sleeping a bit better for you. So hard when they aren’t sleeping well. The castle challenge sounds amazing, looking forward to seeing how you get on! The book looks good too. I love evernote and a good old checklist! Thanks for hosting x
Ah kindred spirits over a checklist! I’ve realised I need one for my Castle Challenge!! xx